The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-13
MRS. GRAMER'S ROMANCE.
Leading Wild, Free Life Among the Indians
and Cowboys of Washington Territory.

New YORK, Oct 1L-Aueusta Luestner, a
beautiful buxom blonde of twenty years. who
came from Saxony in 1884, met and wooed
and won almost Immediately by Xavier Gramer
a widower with children, and about fifteen
years her senior, and he took her to his home in
Brooklyn. The new wife soon had numbers of
admirers and as she and the children could not
get along together, she eloped with cowboy"
and started for the far West. few months
ago Gramer received from his wife a letter dated
at Walla Walla, Washington Territory, recising
an almost incredable story of adventure and
nomadic life that, while it was interest
ing, showed Mr.. Gramer a way to a perma-
nent release from the matrimonial bonds which
still theoretically bound them together. She
wrote that she had gone to Detroit and Joined
interests with party of emigrants bound for
Idaho. where they proposed to engage in farm
ing. On the way across the plains she learned
how to ride and how to shoot and became a
pioneer woman. The emigrants were disap-
pointed about getting the land they had intend
cd to settle upon as homesteaders and SO deter
mined to go on further and engage in stock
raising Mrs. Gramer went with them, assist
ing at the cooking and camp-work when they
were in camp and driving and herding while on
the march One day the party learned that
buffaloes were in herd not far distant. and the
men were wild to get shot at them Mrs. Gra-
mer insisted upon going with them, and although
they tried to persuade her to remain with the
wagons. she was obdurste. and they concluded
to take her along. Mounted an ugly little
mustang. and carrying a light rife across her
saddle, she rode with the men until the game
came in sight. when in the consequent excite
ment and commotion she became separated
from the party, and her mustang, CHANGING to
BILE. she was thrown and had leg broken.
She lay helpless for several hours in a slight de-
preston in the ground, suffering excruciating
pain. when a band of Snake Indians, who had
been hunting buffaloes. came along and discovered
ber. They took her up tenderly. and a half
breed medicine man among them managed to
set the broken limb Making litter for her of
long poles and wickerw work, that was trailed
along the ground behind the pony, the Indians
took her with them on their journey toward the
Columbia river. During her con valesence she
was the recipient of distinguished attention
from the chief of the band, who proposed to in
1egning greater weakness and suffering than
were real, she threw the Indians off their guard,
and when opportunity presented itself she
seized a mustang and effected her escape to q
party of cowboys in the neigh borhood, by whom
she was given enthusiastic welcome. She
was the only woman within many miles, and
was treated with the utmost gallantry by the
81 emf civilized stock -raisers, who handed to
her the charge of their camp.
She writes that she is delighted with the wild
free life she is leading among the cowboys. by
invests with a nobility and eallantry she did
not find prevalent among the denizens of Brook
iyn. She said she would never return to civil
lied society again. Mr.. Gramer had begun an
action for a divorce absolute, and the summons
oy publication having been yesterday returned.
properly executed, the case was set down for an
cariy heariag.